In Case You Missed It: Ranking Member Takano's Remarks at Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Hearing

WASHINGTON, DC - In case you missed it: Yesterday, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) delivered the following remarks, as prepared, during the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity legislative hearing: 

"Today, this subcommittee is considering two bills: Congresswoman Nikema William’s H.R. 491, the Return Home to Housing Act, and Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer's H.R. 3848, the HOME Act of 2023. I’m bothered by the delay in getting here today, as it has now been over a month since the emergency authorities for homeless veterans expired. Because we have lost time and ground in our fight to end veteran homelessness, for me the key consideration of any bill is going to be this: Does the bill do the maximum amount to help homeless veterans get off the street and into permanent housing? 

On May 11th, the maximum rate at which VA GPD providers can be reimbursed for the cost of caring for homeless veterans dropped from over $150 a day to a mere $64 a day. We are already hearing about the stress this is putting on providers. Many are faced with choosing between paying for security or staff and reducing the number of beds they can keep open for homeless veterans. Some providers are leaving the GPD program entirely due to this financial strain.  

Congresswoman Williams’ bill would raise the maximum per diem rate to $112 a day. Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer's bill raises the maximum per diem rate to $74 a day. There is a large delta between those two numbers – $38 a day per veteran served. And that $38 matters to providers and to veterans. With that additional funding, providers can afford to keep clinical staff that can provide the treatment and services these veterans need. They can continue to operate job training programs so that unhoused veterans can gain skills and opportunities to get back on their feet. 

We received a number of statements for the record from GPD providers. One indicated that failure to raise the per diem rate will result in an over $1 million budget shortfall for their facility this year.  Another reported they will have a $60,000 a month shortfall at the current per diem rate. That’s unacceptable considering the tremendous responsibility we place on these providers to care for our most vulnerable.  The Chairman, Ranking Member and our staffs should work together with our Senate counterparts to quickly find a solution that adequately supports transitional housing providers and gives them more predictability with their funding. 

I want to turn to another provision in H.R. 3848. I am deeply concerned about the language that amends the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016, and it is unclear to me why this is being considered alongside provisions related to ending veteran homelessness.  

The language proposed here is counter to what we intended in passing the law in 2016. Everything done at West LA must be focused on benefiting veterans. Veterans need more housing. They need more services. And we must not impede the oversight necessary to continue the process of getting West LA away from its long and difficult history and continue it on the right path in service to veterans."

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